Bottom Line--which is best, 4" or 6" LIFT???

[ryoken]

I agree 100% that the shackle flip is the way to go for the rear of the truck. However, I do believe it to be substantially more money since the lift kit includes shocks and the shackle flip doesn't.....that could easily make a 150 or 200 dollar difference; thereby doubling the actual cost of a flip vs. a block included in a kit.

With that said, down the road I will do a flip (and when that time does come I will be in touch!), but at this point the costs of the included blocks cannot be beat.

DUCK

not to beat it to death but we're just trying to help from past experience.... your paying for shocks in a kit, they're not free... a flip is $150 plus a pair of shocks...

I bet if you take the price of the kit and compare that to 4 shocks, front spring and a flip out back, it'll be about the same... the only thing you'd probably come out ahead on would be u-bolts... plus you can buy what shock YOU want, not what you'd be forced to run in a kit... AND not be redoing stuff later...

 

[AJMBLAZER]

If he does a 4" lift and uses a shackle flip in the rear he wouldn't have to get new rear U-bolts.

 

[stew76]

My brother traded me some work for a 79 Blazer w/ 6" lift. To body was rotted out so I replaced that truck w a 87. The 79 is the parts truck for the 87. With that being said, I put the lift on the 87. Had to lenghten the driveshaft and still not happy the way it rides, so I am going the 4" Tuff Country with shackle flip in the back. Wish I would of done it right the first time.

 

[4X4HIGH]

I always find it funny how someone "can't afford it" but can afford to do things twice.

I understand that sometimes someone can't afford to do what they want at the exact moment but rather than spend money twice it would be ALOT WISER to save a little while THEN buy what you want once you do have enough money. Not only do you save money but you also save time.

 

[DuckTruck]

not to beat it to death but we're just trying to help from past experience.... your paying for shocks in a kit, they're not free... a flip is $150 plus a pair of shocks...

I bet if you take the price of the kit and compare that to 4 shocks, front spring and a flip out back, it'll be about the same... the only thing you'd probably come out ahead on would be u-bolts... plus you can buy what shock YOU want, not what you'd be forced to run in a kit... AND not be redoing stuff later...

You are right...and you'd be correct in my situation as well, except that I have found a used 4" lift kit (with blocks) for 200 bones.

DUCK

 

[DuckTruck]

I always find it funny how someone "can't afford it" but can afford to do things twice.

I understand that sometimes someone can't afford to do what they want at the exact moment but rather than spend money twice it would be ALOT WISER to save a little while THEN buy what you want once you do have enough money. Not only do you save money but you also save time.

I still don't think it is "funny" when the cost of the kit I'm looking at is less than a new pair of front springs. I think it makes absolute sense to buy this used kit for a steal and then to add shackles later.

Theoretically, I could buy this kit and shackles for less than I could buy just the front springs and maybe 4 shocks (under your theory). Makes sense to me....

DUCK

 

[4X4HIGH]

Keep this in mind (I know this from experience) the shocks that come in a "kit" are usually cheap shocks that are too short for the application. You would be better off to wait until you could piece together EXACTLY what YOU want instead of buying a "kit" and having to use what THEY think you need.

 

[stew76]

I always find it funny how someone "can't afford it" but can afford to do things twice.

I understand that sometimes someone can't afford to do what they want at the exact moment but rather than spend money twice it would be ALOT WISER to save a little while THEN buy what you want once you do have enough money. Not only do you save money but you also save time.

I never said I could not afford it. Just wish I would of gone with the 4". I might put the 6" on my dads 79 K20.
The only thing Im out of is time at this point.

You are right...and you'd be correct in my situation as well, except that I have found a used 4" lift kit (with blocks) for 200 bones.

DUCK

For $200, I would say go for it. The money you save from being used, you could buy the shackle flip.The only thing I would worry about with this lift would be the spring rate.

 

[DuckTruck]

Keep this in mind (I know this from experience) the shocks that come in a "kit" are usually cheap shocks that are too short for the application. You would be better off to wait until you could piece together EXACTLY what YOU want instead of buying a "kit" and having to use what THEY think you need.

Touche'....but patience has never been one of my better attributes.

DUCK

 

[blazinzuk]

Touche'....but patience has never been one of my better attributes.

DUCK

If you have a budget then this needs to become your best attribute, at least in regards to your truck.

You can find used stuff way cheaper, sometimes free, but it takes time and you need to have the cash right then.

I agree with the shocks scenarios. One thing that hinders our trucks flex with just lift springs is the shocks run out of travel way before the springs do.

If you want flex then extended shock mounts in the front, and inboarded in the rear. This will help alot with flex.

To do it right the first time takes more of an initial investment, but then all subsequent investments just make the truck better.

 

[DizturbedOne]

I'm in the same boat as you, can't believe no one has mentioned this. I've decided to go 4" shackle flip out back and get stock 56" Chevy springs for the rear. Put some stock 54" rear springs in the front and make some new front hangers from steel stock (they are just rectangles with rounded edges and holes in them).

It's one of the best performing 4"-5" lifts you can get short of going coil-overs. And it's pretty damn cheap in the end as far as lift kits go. I'll be beating the crap out of the stock shocks on this setup until I save up for some half decent longer ones. The shocks are what you don't want to buy twice. You get those cheapo's in a kit and always have to buy new ones anyways. Especially used. Decent new shocks are cheap enough to save for.

I think anything above 6" is a bit tall for center of gravity, but I wouldn't worry about going up to 6", you should be fine. Most spring kits are too stiff for my taste, and likely will be for most people unless they spend most of the time on the road with their truck.

 

[DizturbedOne]

and with craigslist, junkyards, and a little knowledge (mostly just how to measure springs correctly to make sure you're getting the right ones) No way it would cost you more than $200 altogether.

 

[blazin' j]

well im sittin on wore out 3" front springs, shot (one leaf is actually split in two) stock rear springs w/3" blocks and wore out pro comp mx6 shocks, ridin on 36x14.50x15's (d60/14blts) and LOTS of trimmin already...i wanna run 39.5x13.50x16 irock nd's...is 4" springs up front & flip out back w/zero rates all around tha way for me to go??? i do need new rear springs regardless or jus another set of bushings and one non broken rear spring...thanks in advance...

 

[shovelbill80]

With that said, I'm doing this on the cheap so to not reap hell at home; however, by cheap I don't mean junk.

i went back and reread this.....save your pennies, hell just hide them from your better half, but do it right. i can't tell you how much time and money it took me to get my first "kit" correct for the way i wanted to use the truck. i coulda bought Alcans + for what i had into those Ranchos that i so wisely saved some money on. this was 25 years ago, sh1t ann't cheap nowa days either. have patience and do it right or do it again, then you'll have lots of stuff to replace, domino effect.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

It's one of the best performing 4"-5" lifts you can get short of going coil-overs. And it's pretty damn cheap in the end as far as lift kits go. I'll be beating the crap out of the stock shocks on this setup until I save up for some half decent longer ones. The shocks are what you don't want to buy twice. You get those cheapo's in a kit and always have to buy new ones anyways. Especially used. Decent new shocks are cheap enough to save for.

52's or 56's are a cheap way to get lift, sure, and it's a cheap way to get lots of flex.

There are a few big missing points in there: lack of axle wrap control, less clearance and further modifications.

The longer and softer the spring the more axle wrap problems you'll run into. If you want long, flexy leaves, know that most don't consider 52's or 56's acceptable for street use as a front spring application.

I've destroyed several sets of 52's in the front of my rig, I'm ready for them to go bye-bye

The lack of clearance is pretty straight forward, a longer spring will stick out more and cause more of a clearance issue. One note here is that while they are longer, the 56" spring packs are generally rated for much more weight (they did generally come on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks after all) so they aren't generally softer than 52's.

The one thing that I really try to emphasize, because many, many people call asking about this stuff, is that 52's need long brake lines and that you can't use the stock steering. If you mount 52's or 56's in the front in the common way, you move the axle forward 2" and there's basically no way to make the stock steering work. You *could* move the front axle back 1.5" along with 52's/56's with a zero rate but you're trying to combine lots of flex on the front end with the crappy stock steering and that doesn't work well.

Crossover steering or full hydraulic steering is the only way to go with a flexy suspension setup.

 

[stumpjump]

I built my first chev on a tight budget, it can be done, here's my parts list.

$100.00- 4" used craigslist lift with raised pitman arm, 4" front springs, shocks (badly worn but there) 4" blocks and u-bolts (you should replace these if you get a lift where they're included.)

$175.00- Dana 44 and 14b sf with 4.10s and the rear had a posi unit , off craigslist.

$150.00- 5 hummer bias ply take offs on rims, another craigslist find.

$44.00- 98 dodge 1500 drivers side brake lines ar 33" long and have the proper fittings and are only $22 per side

Free- Relocated the rear brake line bracket

So there you go for 500 or less if you can find the deals you can have a decent and functional blazer. It preformed well and it most everything I asked so long as I wasn't to hard on it. But eventually I got tired of nuking 44 shafts, breaking 208 t cases, the leaky automatic, and parted it out for way more than I had into it to build my current rig.

If I were you I would just stock pile parts and put it all in at once, some good craigslist searching will get you a set of 3/4 ton rears and a decent lift and your tires and the rest of the little odds and ends you can pick up and clean up along the way. FWIW I would go 4" and 35s or 36's to try and keep the 10b alive. If you want to go with big meats expect to see alot of breakage and alot of money exiting you bank account.

To echo what everyone else it saying, if you have the time/ patience to save and collect parts you will have a better truck sooner than if you through cheap parts at the truck. But on the flip side you'll be on the trail sooner and you can update slowly while you wheel. It's a tough call but I can tell you that while I don't have anything that I listed above any more I did get my money back out of it, just not my time.

A $200 lift will be worth $200 no matter when you sell it so use it and resell it when you are ready to upgrade.

A 44 and 14b may be all you ever need but if you find a good deal snatch them up and resell them for the same or more(I put new wheel bearings, ball joints and a coat of paint on mine and sold them for $450)

I sold the H1 tires for $250 and put that toward a used set of 39.5 tsls

The brake lines still work great and allow for a ton of droop

The long and short of it in my mind is that I got on the trail and I was able to wheel btw upgrades and in the meantime had a great workable truck.

Just a thought from someone who has done it cheap and then replaced it all.

 

[RootBreaker]

i read page 1 then 5 then 6 as i just cant reread everyone agreeing that you should do it right the first time..

i myself have gone through mass $$$$$$$$$ redoing things... and i am still fixing my screwups... so do it right ...


now i didnt see (in pg 1,5,6)...
you can do a shackle flip even cheaper than you think... $150 for a kit.. fine.. but you can use (see if you can follow this)...

on the rear axle.... the front spring hanger... get 2 from a junkyard.. and put them in the back.... cant be more than $50 at a yard... just take a chissel (cold steel think they are), punch and a BFH....


a quick google brought this up...and exactly what i meant...

 

[DuckTruck]

A $200 lift will be worth $200 no matter when you sell it so use it and resell it when you are ready to upgrade.

The long and short of it in my mind is that I got on the trail and I was able to wheel btw upgrades and in the meantime had a great workable truck.

Just a thought from someone who has done it cheap and then replaced it all.

Well said....that is my plan. I know I could wait and do it "right" as the money comes in, but I'd much rather do it over time and be able to drive and wheel the truck in the meantime.

Thanks again to everyone for their input,

DUCK

 

[RootBreaker]

Well said....that is my plan. I know I could wait and do it "right" as the money comes in, but I'd much rather do it over time and be able to drive and wheel the truck in the meantime.

Thanks again to everyone for their input,

DUCK

bottom line... make sure it is safe!!!!!!!!